Lynchburg, Virginia, Flooding Forces Evacuations, Raises Alarm About Possible Dam Failure

Evacuations were ordered Thursday evening for parts of Lynchburg, Virginia, after increased rainfall caused the College Lake Dam to overflow, raising concerns that it could possibly fail and flood the area.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun explained that the area upstream of Lynchburg had received 3 to 6 inches of rain since Sunday afternoon—and more rain is expected through Friday. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood warning for Lynchburg until 6:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, and residents were asked to evacuate because if the dam breaks, Lynchburg could be flooded with 17 feet of water within minutes, according to AccuWeather.

"If you are in low-lying areas below the College Lake Dam, you should move to higher ground immediately," the City of Lynchburg posted on Facebook. The city also posted an interactive map on its website that enables residents to type their address into the search bar to see whether they are in harm's way and should evacuate.

Roads have already started to flood. On Thursday, the City of Lynchburg closed Lakeside Drive from Old Forest Road to Moorman Drive, and urged residents to not attempt to cross the barriers. Rescuers used an inflatable raft to help move families from an apartment complex in a flooded area to safety.

Piper Van DePerre, of Lynchburg's Department of Emergency Services, told WDBJ that crews were working off a list of 124 residences that need to be evacuated; it was unclear if every one of those residences was occupied. The list of areas that could be affected if the dam breaks, according to WDBJ, include:

• 20 block 7th Street

• 20 block 9th Street

• 3000 block Birchwood Drive

• 20-40 block Cabell Street

• 0-20 block Clifton Street

• 100 block Halsey Road

• 2300 block Heronhill Place

• 2800 block Hill Street

• 3200 block Hill Street

• 1900 block Hillsdale Road

• 100-500 block Hillside Court

• 700 block Jefferson Street

• 2800 block Kulman Place

• 2200 block Oriole Place

• 200-300 block Peninsular Street

• 100-200 block Stonewall Street

• 1900 block Thomson Drive

Residents who evacuated were encouraged to go to the E.C. Glass High School auditorium, where a shelter has been set up. Some residents may not be able to return home for 24 hours. WSET reporter Emily Swecker tweeted a photo of a police officer who had been working almost 24 hours, and described how a woman who was at the shelter needed to get to dialysis but didn't have money for a cab, so the officer gave her money for the ride.

Emergency personnel are scheduled to check the dam for signs of structural failure on August 3, according to the NWS.